Choosing the best VR Headsets for PC: A complete guide
People have been enthralled by the magic of virtual reality (VR) for the past few years now. With the ability to perform headset and motion tracking, a VR headset gives you the ability to travel using just technology and look around in a virtual space as if you are actually there.VR was in a state of flux until very recently. But now, with more and more immersive games and experiences being released, VR headsets are gaining traction and growing rapidly.
In addition to all this, Metaverse was announced recently as well. It is that time when people will start buying VR headsets to journey to Zuckerburg’s promised land of a completely immersive future. Early renditions of VR technology were stunted by low frame rate, lower resolution, unoptimized optics, etc. But the last five years entailed major innovation leaps for VR technology, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
So, which one is the best VR headset in India? Well, that depends on the usability andpersonal preference of the buyer. But to help you figure it out a little better, here is everything you need to know about VR headsets is out in the market right now.
Oculus quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2, now known as Meta Quest 2, was one of the first names to ride the VR wave. It still happens to be one of the biggest names in the VR industry, and with the Quest2 sales in a frenzy, the company seems to be doing really well. Talking about the VR headset itself, the Quest 2 is one of the best VR headsets in India. But why? Well, first things first. Oculus has bowed out of the production of the Rift S, thereby discontinuing it and focusing all its efforts on the Quest 2. As a result, the VR headset comes with an amazing resolution and a significant upgrade over the original Quest VR. With a per-
eye resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels, the Quest 2 provides a high-resolution VR experience without a PC. To punch out such a high-quality VR experience, the Quest 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, a massive improvement over the Quest’s 835. The Quest 2 supports two motion controls for 6DOF for seamless hand and motion tracking. It also has a vast online library that offers a plethora of VR software on its onboard store.
The Quest 2 also offers variable refresh rates of 60, 90, and 120 Hz, depending upon the performance demands of the game in question. Ultimately, the Quest 2 hasn’t lost PC support at all. If you want to go ahead and enjoy the
Quest 2 on your PC, all you have to do is get the 5-meter Oculus link cable, and you are all set to play PC exclusives like Half-Life: Alyx. The Quest 2 VR headset price in India is Rs.37,845 for the 128 GB variant and Rs. 47,980 for the 256 GB variant.
Valve index
The Valve Index is hands down one of the best VR headsets out there. It covers almost everything in terms of features. The headset rocks a refresh rate of 120 Hz, with back-compatibility up to 90 Hz and an experimental 144 Hz mode. The only area where the Index falls behind the other headsets is its 1440 x 1600 dual LCD panels, which are crisp but not mind-blowing.
But apart from all this, the Valve Index does pretty well for itself. It also uses the SteamVRtracking system, which is one of the most accurate tracking systems for a home-based VR. The controllers on the Index are revolutionary as well. Their ability to track individual finger movements make for the most immersive experience currently possible while gaming on
VR. But, it isn’t a secret that the Valve Index VR headset with controllers is extremely expensive and can easily push over Rs. 1.5 lakh in India.
So, if you don’t want to end up burning a hole in your pockets, you can simply buy the Indexcontroller and use it to transform your VR experience, provided you already have a VR headset for PC.
Htc Vive pro 2
The HTC Vive Pro 2 is easily the best resolution you can currently experience on a VR. The system rocks a stunning 5K resolution (2448×2448 pixels per eye), with a 120-degree field of view and a 210 Hz display. Provided you have a powerful enough PC to back this up, then you can experience life-like and stunning VR headset games at the truest potential. Not just games, but any interaction you have with the VR headset would be crystal clear and surreal.
The Vive Pro 2 VR headset price in India is Rs. 1,14,399, and if you want to add the controllers and base stations as well, you will have to pay extra. The Vive Pro 2 supports SteamVR, making it a really good alternative to the Valve Index in terms of VR headsets for PC. The Vive pro 2 also has its own software store called VivePort, and it offers a monthly subscription service that includes unlimited access to VR services called Viveport Infinity.
Sony PlayStation VR
The Playstation VR is an official contender in the VR scenario, despite being so cheap compared to the others. This is only because Sony personally decided to back its development. All you need to have a seamless PSVR experience is the VR headset, the Playstation 4, and a Playstation camera. The VR headset is also compatible with the Playstation 5, but a free camera adapter from Sony would be required for it to work.
All is well and decent for the PSVR, but one area that it seriously lags behind is the controllers. The PSVR still rocks the old Playstation Move wands from the PS3 era. These controllers are nowhere close to the controllers of VR headsets Sony has set out to compete with. Sony is currently working on a new VR system with improved controllers for the PS5, but no news on that yet.
Apart from the controllers, the PSVR is a sturdy VR headset that is well balanced when worn and has an in-built microphone. Earphones are optional, and the game performance is restricted to the console of your choice. For the PSVR, the VR headset price in India is somewhere around Rs. 45,000.
What to look out for while purchasing a VR headset?
For the best VR experience, always go for a PC-connected VR
VR headsets for PC entail the best graphical and performance-centric experience you can find. VR headset games can run on the highest possible graphics and still pump out a constant FPS. But for this, you will need a high-end gaming PC which was available for under Rs. 1,00,000 or even lower when VR first launched. But due to the current state of graphic cards in the market, you will have to pay almost double the price for the GPU, or even more!
Therefore, if you don’t want to create such a massive dent in your savings, you can always consider standalone HMDs that don’t connect to any system. But you will have to sacrifice quality to some extent.
You need a powerful PC
To buy a VR headset to use with your PC, you first have to make sure that the PC meets the headset’s minimum requirements. Although, it is never a good idea to meet just the basic minimum requirements if you want a seamless experience. Aim for the RTX 3000 series for GPUs since you can never have too much GPU power for the best VR headsets. If not, then consider increasing your budget or go for a standalone HMD.
Higher the specs, better the experience
Get a VR headset with the highest refresh rate, the field of vision, pixel density, resolution, etc., that your budget allows. There is no specification sweet-spot for VRs as such. Remember that when we talk about VR specs, bigger is always better. For a much more immersive and crisp Virtual Reality experience, get the best VR headset India and an RTX 3000 series GPU.
Which VR headset should you buy?
At the end of the day, buying yourself a VR will drop down to three factors, namely: price, performance, and preference. Depending upon how you use your VR will also set restrictions of sorts. For example, if you use a console, you are stuck with the PSVR. If you want a standalone HMD, then your only options are the Quest or Ques 2.
But the big 4 mentioned in the above article are the best and the most expensive VR headsets available in the market right now. Each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses and buying yourself the wrong headset will cost you a fortune. Therefore, go through the article properly and make a wise decision.
VR tech has progressed in leaps and bounds in the last five years. VR headsets now feature studded and much more immersive. So fret not, because you will find the one VR headset perfect for you with the recent growth in the VR scene. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your VR headsets and get lost in the amazing world such a compact piece of tech can create for you!
